Failure to Timely Report and Investigate Alleged Financial Abuse
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to implement its abuse prevention and reporting policy by not submitting the results of an investigation into an allegation of financial abuse to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) within five working days of the incident. The incident involved a resident with dementia, osteoarthritis, and acute kidney failure, who was moderately cognitively impaired and dependent on staff for daily care. The Social Service Director (SSD) reported the suspected financial abuse by the resident's representative to Adult Protective Services (APS) and informed the Director of Nursing (DON), but did not notify CDPH, the Ombudsman, or law enforcement as required by facility policy and state regulations. A review of records showed that the initial report to APS was made on the day of the incident, but the required report to CDPH was not submitted until approximately seven months later. The facility's policy mandates that a follow-up investigation report be provided to CDPH within five business days of the incident, but this was not done. The SSD acknowledged during interviews that she was a mandated reporter and that the facility did not conduct or submit the required investigation findings to CDPH in a timely manner.